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General City News

Posted on: November 13, 2017

Construction of Recreation and Aquatic Center underway

The beginning of construction of Roswell’s new Recreation and Aquatic Center was celebrated Nov. 11 with a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the facility in the Cielo Grande Recreation Area at 1402 W. College Blvd.

Mayor Dennis Kintigh and City of Roswell Director of Administrative Services Elizabeth Gilbert spoke about the new facility, the planning and preparation for it, and the impact it will have on the recreation opportunities available to Roswell residents and citizens of surrounding areas.

Representing some of the young residents who will enjoy the Recreation and Aquatic Center, the local youth Caprock Swim Team attended the ceremony and marked the event with a balloon release (pictured).

During the ceremony, a video about the new facility was played. The video (look for the original July 14 post) can be found on the City of Roswell Facebook page. Videos from the groundbreaking ceremony can also be viewed on the Facebook page.

The first part of the $20 million project is tentatively scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2018. That part is the non-water activities recreation center. The aquatic portion of the facility is expected to be completed around December 2018.

The Recreation and Aquatic Center will include a gymnasium for basketball and other indoor sports and activities, a fitness room that can host a variety of fitness classes, and plenty of opportunities for water recreation.

An eight-lane, 25-yard indoor pool will offer not only lap swimming, but space for swimming lessons, water aerobics, and will even feature a climbing wall above the water. There will also be spectator seating alongside the indoor pool for those watching competitive or other events, or just keeping an eye on others in the pool.

Outside will be another pool that will feature a kids area in one section, offering a small slide and spray features. Further out in the leisure pool, older children and adults will find plenty of room to play and visit in the water, as well as a two-story slide to plunge down. Shade structures on the pool deck will provide places to get out of the sun or host a poolside party.

The facility was designed by the architects at Huitt-Zollars, with the aquatic designs done by Counsilman-Hunsaker. Both are national firms doing work throughout the country. The general contractor handling the construction of the center is Waide Construction of Roswell.